YouTube has announced that it will begin enforcing updated Partner Program (YPP) monetization policies, which will remove inauthentic content. This means that such content will no longer be eligible to earn revenue. In the latest YouTube update, published on YouTube’s Help Center, inauthentic content is described in the update as “mass-produced and repetitious.”
YouTube is preparing the text for the new updates to its guidelines. The guidelines will provide more clarity on which videos are eligible for monetization and which are not. YouTubers have fears that the update would demonetize videos that reuse clips, such as reaction videos.
However, Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s Head of Editorial and Creator Liaison, clarified that reaction videos and similar content will remain monetized. Ritchie published a 32-second video on YouTube and said “This is a minor update to YouTube’s long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive.” He stated that this type of content has been ineligible for monetization for years and that users consider it spam.
AI-generated videos flood YouTube
Using the terms “inauthentic” and “mass-produced” could refer to AI-generated videos, which presently represent 42% of YouTube Shorts, according to Zebracat. Recent data showed that YouTube sees about 360 hours of new content uploaded every minute. This is equivalent to roughly 2.6 million videos per day, or 946 million videos per year. That suggests around 400 million AI-aided videos rolled out over the past year alone, even though Shorts represent only part of the platform.
AI video creators have been using text-to-video AI tools like AI-generated voice-overs layered over photos, video clips, and other repurposed content. Some channels showcasing AI-generated music have millions of subscribers, while others posting fabricated AI-generated videos on news events have racked up millions of views.
YouTube’s advertising revenue totaled $31.7 billion in 2023. According to YPP, creators receive 55% of ad revenue. This means around $17.4 billion went straight to creators. YouTube ad revenues continued to grow in 2024. They grew by 13.8%, translating to $36.15 billion. Creators received around $19.9 billion.
YouTube is committing hundreds of millions of dollars in creator earnings to truly original content. By removing AI-slop and repetitive content from the YPP, the platform maintains advertiser trust. At the same time, this move protects the livelihoods of genuine creators.
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