San Francisco: Youtube content creators gear up for a happy announcement from Youtube, as the video sharing platform has announced new monetisation opportunities for those with just 500 subscribers.

The Google-owned video platform is bringing significant changes to its monetisation policies, offering a leap of opportunities to small and struggling creators on the platform. In a recent announcement, YouTube revealed its decision to decrease the qualifying criteria for the YouTube Partner Program, granting creators with smaller audiences access to a broader range of monetization options.

Creators who wanted to join the YouTube Partner Program and monetize their content previously had to meet specific criteria. However, YouTube has now lowered the eligibility limit, requiring only 500 subscribers, half of the previous requirement. Additionally, the watch hour criteria has been reduced from 4,000 to 3,000, and the Shorts views requirement has decreased from 10 million to 3 million. The policy will be initially implemented in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea.

While this update allows smaller creators to monetize their content, they will still need to grow their audience and meet certain benchmarks to earn ad revenue. The existing requirements for revenue sharing remain unchanged, but creators who have already qualified for the YouTube Partner Program will not need to reapply once they meet the higher thresholds.

YouTube has been actively encouraging creators to generate revenue, particularly through its ad revenue sharing program for Shorts. The platform aims to incentivize creators and enhance its short-form content offerings by enabling them to monetize their content.

Similar to YouTube, TikTok has also taken steps to support creator monetization. Recently, TikTok introduced the Series feature, a video paywall that initially required over 10,000 followers to access. However, creators with 1,000 followers who meet additional requirements can also apply. This feature allows creators to offer premium content that fans can pay to access.

Furthermore, YouTube is expanding its shopping affiliate program, which was previously invitation-only. Now, participants in the YouTube Partner Program in the US with at least 20,000 subscribers can access this program, allowing them to earn through affiliate marketing and product promotion.

These updates from YouTube and other platforms demonstrate a positive shift in supporting smaller creators and diversifying monetization options. These changes enable creators to generate income and sustain their creative endeavours.

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Tel Aviv, Dec 21: A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people slightly injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians.

A further 14 people sustained minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before the projectile hit just before 4 am Saturday, the military said.

The Houthi rebels issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.

The attack comes less than two days after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi attack in which a long-range missile hit an Israeli school building. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel on Thursday.

The Israeli military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they won't stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Israeli strikes Thursday caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports “that will lead to the immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The port at Hodeida has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said both sides' attacks risk further escalation in the region and undermine UN mediation efforts.